A Heart Full of Hope
by NoruheilArius
Summary: Sarah is overseas when she meets an old man full of tales, but one in particular stands out. It's basically instructions to meet where the sunlight hits the frost just right, but what exactly is she supposed to find there?
1. Chapter 1

First fanfic published in so many years! All my old stories are gone because they were over ten years old and terrible, lol.

There was this one picture that was on reddit this morning that I saw, and I couldn't stop thinking about how magical it looked. Naturally, my mind went to Labyrinth. The picture is, I think of either dew or frost with rainbows on them from the sun. I want to link it but don't think I can, but the photographer is Tiina Törmänen ab on instagram if you guys are interested. It's also on r/earthporn.

Anyways! I don't own the rights to Labyrinth, but I enjoy writing with the characters. Hope you guys enjoy, and thank you for reading!

* * *

Snow crunched under her as warm rays of orange and purple and yellows danced around her feet. Long fingertips touched the top of tall grass, sun-kissed with rainbow crystalline beads of frost. A large wool scarf wrapped 'round her neck, protecting her from the harsh winter air as she surveyed the massive field with a sunrise on its back. She hummed softly under her breath, watching as white swirls danced before her face with every exhale. Her red nose was nearly numb, but it was worth it. Worth the wait.

"_Rumor has it that something magical happens at that very spot," a villager had said the night before. Sarah was overseas for school and was visiting a town for a few nights. On her last one in a small pub, she got to know some of the locals, one of who had warmed up to her nearly right away. He reminded her of a grandfather with his long beard of white and nearly faded hair covered by a red wool hat. It stayed on no matter how warm the building grew._

"_Magical how?" she had asked, going along with his lopsided grin of missing teeth. He tapped his drink, its content gone merely minutes ago._

"_You go to this field," he said in a gravely and thick accent, "and you just stand there. At sunrise, no less."_

"_And then what?" She brushed hair away from her face and leaned on her hand, watching as he recounted the instructions in his mind._

"_You think of a moment very near and dear to you. You hold it in your heart, and you wait to see what happens. It must be a happy one, know that. I've heard tales of some visiting there and," he stopped a moment to cough before continuing, "and coming back bearing good news like they've come upon a fortune or met a person. Maybe a person." He rubbed his beard and made a non-committal grunt. "Probably a person. A wish-granter something or other. But you go there, dear. You may find what you're looking for."_

"_And what would I be looking for, sir?" Her deep green eyes twinkled as her lips turned upward._

"_Your dreams, miss," he answered. Without waiting for response, he bumped the bottom of his glass on the table and then peered into it. Feigning surprise, he excused himself to go grab another drink. Sarah was left at the empty table by the window, which did very little to keep the cold out but offered a nice reprieve from the oven she sat in._

_She blinked and rubbed her face. A small band played in the background, and the building became almost immediately stifling for her. With no one holding her attention, Sarah finished her own drink of whiskey and left after paying._

_The night air did her some good on her way back to the inn. _

_But she didn't notice the snow falling behind her back as she walked._

The humming continued as Sarah hugged herself. She knew she did well in bringing her wool clothing for this outing, but she wondered how much longer she had to stay.

And what, exactly, was she waiting for?

After another minute, she began bouncing on the heels of her feet to try to get blood moving through her body.

After another, she rolled her eyes and turned to leave, unconsciously damning the man and his regaling tales. It was just as well, though; she had always been a sucker for unlikely stories and events.

"You're here," a voice spoke behind her, making her pause.

A shiver ran through her as she could recall that exact voice. Suddenly, the old man's labeling of the event made sense. _Wish-granter_.

"Goblin King," she whispered, not daring to look back. His shadow overtook hers as he approached. She could almost feel him.

"Sarah," he replied, her name rolling off his tongue easily. In the shadow, she could see the outline of his hand go near her hair and pause mid-touch. She was disappointed when he lowered it. "What brings you here?"

"An old man's ramblings," Sarah answered almost dejectedly. She pulled her jacket closer, wishing to curl up and leave.

"Well done," he said, amusement sinking into his voice. "Ten years, and we finally meet again. With another story, no less. What were you hoping for this time? I cannot take Toby; I've retired that game long ago."

Sarah exhaled sharply and spun to rebuke him, but she stopped as the rising sun made it nearly impossible to look him in the eyes. She held her hand up to her eyes.

"I don't know what I was hoping for, but I don't think I was hoping for you."

She could barely see that he raised an eyebrow, but she could see him cross his arms.

"I only come here on the happy memories of humans looking for something. Do you know what drew me here this morning?" She shook her head. "A particular tune that only two people would know, and both are currently present. Tell me, Sarah, what was that music?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sarah said with a frown and crossed her own arms.

He moved quickly, stepping to her side and lifting her chin with a gloved hand. She could then see him properly with his blonde hair and beguiling Fae eyes. His outfit was as extravagant as ever, bearing a striking resemblance to what he wore when they first met. "There's such a sad love deep in your eyes, Sarah. The jewels, however, are no longer pale. They are quite striking."

Her face warmed, and she ducked away from his grip.

He continued, "A happy memory. I believe yours is a dance we shared. Shall we?"

Before she could react, he reached for her again and pulled her flush against him. Where she was cold was now very, very warm.

A wind blew through the field behind them as the Goblin King set a dance, and the frosted grass danced in sync with the same haunting melody that arose in the air.

Sarah felt, rather than saw, the magic that enveloped her body. The warmth spread through her, taking away her winter clothes and replacing them with a simple dress of shimmering fabric that trailed behind her. No longer did she wear the poofy white dress meant for dress-up from the eighties but a mature, slimmer dress fit for a…

"A queen," the Goblin King bemused as she transformed before his eyes. Even her pinned hair flourished with familiar silver tendrils.

"What are you doing?" Sarah breathed, her eyes wide with wonder at him. She flexed her now-bare hands on his arms in amazement she that no longer felt the cold.

"I'm giving you what you hoped for." Snow flew around them as they danced. At the end of the song the Goblin King stopped, but he showed no sign of letting go of the girl in his arms.

"Every person who comes to this particular spot has hope in their heart for some kind of fulfillment. I would be remiss if I said I was not one of those people, Sarah."

"What do you hope for, Goblin King?"

"Acceptance. Something I wasn't granted all those years ago."

She curled her fingers in the fabric on his shoulders, looking away sheepishly. "You asked for something impossible of me. I couldn't—"

"You could have," he broke in. "You won long before that moment, you know. You were just too stubborn to see it."

"That does sound like me," she admitted with a tiny grin.

"I would also hope for you to call me by my name instead of just Goblin King."

"I can do that." Sarah looked back at him, not shocked to see his expectant expression. "Jareth."

"Much better."

Sarah would step closer to him if it were possible. "Anything else?"

"I would hope that you would finally come with me."

"To where?"

"Why, to the castle beyond the Goblin City, Sarah. Where else?"

"You could have been asking me to the United States for all I know." A little bit of tongue stuck out between her tongue as she smiled up at him.

"Gods, no. Nothing against them, but I do prefer my controlled chaos over their uncontrolled one."

"That's completely fair."

"Sarah," Jareth said with a tug at her waist. "Would you answer me?"

"Okay," she said simply.

"Okay?" He blinked at her.

"But I expect to be able to come back. Maybe 6 months there, 6 months here. A Hades and Persephone kind of deal."

Jareth pinned her with a deadpan look. "I'm not a lord of the—oh."

"Underground, underworld. Same thing, really. And then there's the goblins—oh!"

He stopped her, shocking her by kissing her rather roughly. She nearly rolled her eyes but returned the kiss with fervor, wrapping her arms around his neck.

She missed the heated look in his eyes as he picked her up and carried her into the field. Anyone watching would have seen them vanish into glimmering air.


	2. Chapter 2

This... was meant to be a one-shot. Now it's a two-shot. LovelyAmberLight (with possibly the best profile pic) suggested something about the old man at the bar, and I found myself agreeing and thinking about it. This is what I came up with! Hope you guys like it.

As the dark-haired girl left through the door and into the night, the old man shivered on his stool at the bar. No one noticed his person shrinking nearly a foot, and no one batted an eye when he reached up and quite literally pulled his own face off. He was left with his big nose and wrinkly face, and he snorted with disdain once he discovered faint glitter outlining the mask he had taken off.

"Damn you, Jareth," he muttered and crumbled it into a ball. The dwarf grabbed his fresh drink of ale and took a long gulp, then popped every joint he possibly could before jumping down on to the floor. It was time to head back to the Underground; he had done what his king had asked of him. He could only hope Sarah received him well. "And damn me, too."

_Hours before:_

"_You must," he implored, moving quickly to get in front of the dwarf and kneeling down to his height._

"_I already told you that I'm not tricking her again!" Hoggle frowned, adding more lines to his wrinkles. His eyes darted to the garden just next to his house. All he wanted to do today was tend to it and get rid of the fairies that had been stealing from it. "She'd been deceived enough all those years ago. You should leave her well enough alone."_

"_But that was years ago. Come now, Higgins, she wouldn't be the same person she was back then."_

"_Hoggle," he corrected automatically, shooting darts at his king. Truth be told, it was kind of nice to have the king beg him to do something rather than threaten to bog him. "And I won't do it."_

_Jareth stood up with a huff and crossed his arms. "Need I bring back the bog threat?"_

_Ah, there it was._

"_No, and if you do it anyways, I'll stink to high heavens whenever I meet Sarah. Don't think she'll be so eager to talk to me."_

_The corners of Jareth's mouth turned down. "You spent too much time with Sarah after she left, you know that? I should never have let you keep in touch."_

"_You're just sour because she never calls on you," Hoggle retorted. "And you don't want to do anything that would make her unhappy. What a situation you've placed yourself into."_

"_You are pushing it."_

"_Bog me."_

_The tension in the air between them nearly snapped until Jareth sighed and put his hand through his hair._

"_All I want you to do is convince Sarah to come find me. She'll listen to you. I have word from a goblin that she'll be making a trip near the entrance to the Underground. It's been years since we've met. Hoggle, I need to see her." Hearing his name correctly made Hoggle look back at the king with raised bushy eyebrows. His mismatched eyes were wide and pleading, a look so different from his usual scowl. "What will it take to convince you?"_

_Hoggle kicked the ground with a soft mutter under his breath. "No giving her peaches."_

"_No peaches," Jareth agreed hurriedly, clapping his hands together. "Anything else?"_

"_No hurting her, no tricking her. Be honest with her."_

"_Yes, yes, honesty and all that." Jareth was getting a little impatient, nearly bouncing on the balls of his feet. Curse any goblins that might see him._

"_And," Hoggle paused, wanting to draw it out as long as possible before Jareth resorted to kicking him. The king nearly growled before Hoggle added, "I want a better fairy repellant. They keep stealing from my gardens no matter what I do."_

"_Consider it done," Jareth replied, throwing a glass orb at the garden behind him without even looking. It became covered in glitter, but something in it made a fairy immediately turn away. Satisfied, Hoggle nodded._

"_And no more goblins spying on her!" A groan and an eye roll from the goblin king—Hoggle was unusually bossy. "Gods above, that's a bit creepy, Jareth. Now, what do I need to do?"_

"_You'll put this on…"_

Now:

"What do you mean, that was Hoggle?" Sarah stared agape at the goblin king. They had just arrived at the Underground, and Jareth set her down on her feet. "Why couldn't he just tell me it was him?"

"Because you'd come here for him instead of me," Jareth sniffed. If Sarah looked closer, she'd see him pouting at the mere thought.

"That's not true," she stammered and handled her scarf clumsily. "I would have still come here for you…" Her face was red from both embarrassment and the fact that it was actually warm in the Underground. Suddenly, her scarf was too much. As though noticing her discomfort, Jareth drew the scarf away from her and folded it up in his arms. For all the bravado she had, Sarah immediately felt shy like she didn't know how to act in front of him.

"You would have come here for him," Jareth insisted and took her gently by the arm to start them walking. The castle beyond the Goblin City was just ahead, but he wanted her to take in the scenery of the Labyrinth as it had grown since her last visit. It was bigger now and greener. "I know all about your near-nightly visits with him and that blasted mirror. Don't think I've forgotten about the giant creature and the dog, either."

Sarah scanned his expression from the side for a split second before gasping. "You're jealous!"

"I am not!"

There was that royal pout.

Sarah stopped his walking to take off her heavy jacket. When she kept wordlessly glancing at him while undressing, Jareth bristled. "I am not jealous, Sarah. Kings do not become jealous."

"This one does," she said dryly, casually folding the jacket and holding it. "So much that he sends one of my friends to trick me into coming here. How did Hoggle even agree to that?"

"He didn't trick you." Jareth gestured with his hands fluttering in front of him. "It was simply… Persuasion."

"You got jealous." Sarah leaned in aggressively towards him. "Admit it!"

"Blast it all, Sarah," Jareth puffed his cheeks and tightened his hands on the scarf. "Yes; I was jealous. All those years, and you talk to them. You talk to them and never call on me. How was I supposed to feel?"

"I thought you didn't want to talk to me. I made a mess out of your kingdom, after all." She shrugged helplessly. "I was scared."

"Scared?" He deflated.

"Yeah. Big, bad villain of my adventure. Remember? 'You cowered before me; I was frightening'. I beat you in the end, but I was terrified the entire time. Truth be told, I'm still a little terrified."

"Why?"

"Why? Well. I suppose I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. You brought me back to the Labyrinth, but what's the goal? Romance me or drop me into an oubliette? You hoped for acceptance from me, but what am I doing here?"

Jareth dropped the scarf and fell to his knees in front of her, causing her to step back in surprise. He caught her by the waist.

"I would never drop you into another oubliette, Sarah, mark my words. I brought you here to be with me. I want to get to know you. You had all those years to grow close to your friends through the mirror, but we'll have the rest of forever if you'll stay with me."

Her eyes softened, and Sarah placed her hands on his shoulders. "I don't know you as well as the others, but I'm willing to give it a try. It's a lot to ask." She trailed off, nearly caught off-guard with the way he seemed to be holding his breath.

"Could I ask for one teeny, tiny favor?"

He stood up abruptly. "Anytime, dear one. Just ask."

"No more peaches, okay?"

He dropped his head onto her shoulder with a defeated sigh as she bubbled with giggles.

"No more peaches."


End file.
